18 months later: Gradual Palisades Fire rebuild continues as 28 properties cleared for occupancy
Palisades Fire: 18 months later
Rebuilding continues 18 months after the Palisades Fire, but only a small number of families have returned home despite more than 1,400 rebuilding permits being issued.
LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. - Eighteen months after the devastating Palisades Fire destroyed nearly 6,000 homes, rebuilding is gradually reshaping the community, though only a small number of families have been able to return home.
Construction crews now fill neighborhoods once left quiet by the disaster, with new homes rising alongside vacant lots where houses once stood.
According to the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety, rebuilding permits have been issued for 1,419 properties. However, only 28 addresses have received certificates of occupancy, allowing residents to move back in.
For many residents, the emotional recovery has been slower than the physical reconstruction.
"In a lot of ways, it feels like it's been a day, and in a lot of ways, it feels like it's been every day of those 18 months," said Pacific Palisades resident Jeff Lemen.
Residents say signs of progress are encouraging, but reminders of the destruction remain everywhere.
"It's nice to see some houses going up, but there's a lot more to go. It's a mess around here," said resident Jim Wadsworth.
His wife, Kay Wadsworth, said the fire permanently changed the character of the neighborhood.
"It's forever changing our neighborhood. All the sweet little houses are gone. People can't come back. The elderly can't build again. It's a different town," she said.
Business owner Michael Geller is among those trying to rebuild. After losing both his home and business in the fire, he recently reopened Jaime Geller Jewelry at a new location, bringing with him a restored piece of the original storefront.
"We were able to recover [the sign], and had it resurfaced and refinished," Geller said of the business sign salvaged after the fire.
He said reopening has brought mixed emotions.
"[The fire] feels like it was just yesterday," Geller said. "It's kind of a good thing, but also kind of tough to swallow that a whole year and a half has gone by, and we're kind of still in this position."
Geller believes the pace of rebuilding on the ground is slower than what is being reported.
"I drive around town all the time. It feels like maybe 100 — I'll give it the benefit of the doubt, maybe 150 homes — are actually actively under construction. It's going slower than I think it's being reported out there," he said.
Despite frustrations with the pace of recovery, many residents remain committed to rebuilding.
"It's just been a long ordeal. And the city really let us down," Kay Wadsworth said.
Geller said the community continues to move forward despite the challenges.
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger. That's how we've been rolling along," he said.
While recovery remains a long-term effort, each newly framed home, completed foundation, and reopened business represents another milestone in Pacific Palisades' ongoing rebuilding process.